UFC on FX 3 Results: Post-Fight Matchmaking for the Entire Fight Card

Three months after their first bout was supposed to be decided by a sudden-death fourth round, flyweight contenders Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall faced off for three more rounds to decide which 125-pound fighter would earn a spot in the UFC's first flyweight title fight against Joseph Benavidez.

In another closely-contested bout, Johnson was once again announced the winner by Bruce Buffer. However, this time there was no incorrect tabulation of the scorecards. Johnson actually won and will actually fight Benavidez later this year for the 125-pound title.

Though Johnson's next opponent has already been determined, the future remains uncertain for the other 23 UFC on FX 3 competitors, so let's take a look at who will be next for every fighter on the card.

Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Chris Tickle

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Bernardo Magalhaes looked much more like a UFC-level lightweight against Henry Martinez than he did against Tim Means, but he'll still need to avoid a third straight loss in his next fight if he wants to continue competing inside the Octagon.

While it would also give Magalhaes a chance to bounce back, a matchup against Chris Tickle could allow the UFC to keep a popular TUF participant around to build its fan base on FX.

Tickle lost against Daron Cruickshank in his official UFC debut, but he put on a strong showing and could be worthy of one more chance in the UFC's lightweight division.

Buddy Roberts vs. C.B. Dollaway

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With a dominant win over Caio Magalhaes in his UFC debut, Buddy Roberts is looking like a future force in the 185-pound division. Such a lopsided win should earn Roberts a big step up in competition for his next fight.

A bout with C.B. Dollaway, who defeated Jason "Mayhem" Miller in a sloppy display from both fighters, would make sense for Roberts and would teach Dollaway that he's not going to climb the middleweight ladder with performances like the one he had against Miller.

Justin Salas vs. Ramsey Nijem-C.J. Keith Loser

At UFC on FX 3, Justin Salas was steamrolled by Tim Means in the first round. Still, Salas did pick up a win in his first UFC appearance and has plenty of time to make improvements.

Salas' next fight should come against the loser of a UFC on FX 4 bout between TUF runner-up Ramsey Nijem and UFC newcomer C.J. Keith. A win over either opponent would put Salas right back where he was heading into his fight with Means.

Tim Means vs. Justin Lawrence

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In his first two Octagon showings, Tim Means has shown dangerous striking ability and made himself a fighter to watch in the lightweight division.

Coming off a head-kick knockout of John Cofer in his official UFC debut, Justin Lawrence is also a fun fighter to watch on his feet. A bout between Means and Lawrence could turn into an entertaining and technical display in the stand-up department and would likely earn the winner a big step up in competition.

Jared Papazian vs. John Albert

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Dustin Pague was the better fighter on Friday night, but make no mistake that Jared Papazian was hampered by poor officiating. Inexplicably, while Pague was trying to lock up a choke, referee Frank Gentile instructed Papazian to keep his feet away from the fence, which made it much more difficult for him to fight off the choke.

For his next fight, let's match Papazian up against John Albert, who was also the victim of bad officiating in his last fight when referee Kim Winslow stopped the bout despite the fact that Albert did not appear to submit to an armbar attempt by Erik Perez.

Dustin Pague vs. Erik Perez

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One of the few TUF participants to receive a second chance in the UFC after losing in an Octagon debut that wasn't for the finals of the series tournament, Dustin Pague made the most of his opportunity by defeating Jared Papazian via first-round submission at UFC on FX 3.

Now, Pague can look forward to facing an opponent who is coming off of a win. A bout with Erik Perez, who recently defeated John Albert, the opponent Pague lost against in his UFC debut, would create an intriguing storyline.

Matt Grice vs. Mike Brown

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By using his wrestling and smothering top game, Matt Grice may have ground-and-pounded Leonard Garcia straight out of the UFC. In the process, Grice took a big step toward becoming a staple in the organization's featherweight division.

While it might not be a popular idea with fans of Mike Brown, who is nearing the end of his career, a bout between Grice and the former WEC champion would give Grice a chance to build his popularity and test his wrestling against an opponent with better takedown defense.

Lance Benoist vs. Che Mills

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Lance Benoist put on a strong performance at UFC on FX 3, but his effort fell just short of being enough for victory, as he suffered a split decision loss to Seth Baczynski. Still, the 23-year-old showed promise and should have a bright future in the UFC.

Benoist's next fight should come against another bright prospect coming off of a loss. A bout with Che Mills could turn into an entertaining striking match.

Seth Baczynski vs. John Hathaway

His win over Lance Benoist wasn't very decisive, but Seth Baczynski is closing in on contender status with five straight wins.

To see if Baczynski is ready for a fight with a top 170-pound fighter, let's match him up against another unheralded rising fighter in John Hathaway.

Hathaway recently returned from a one-year hiatus with a victory over Pascal Krauss. Having defeated Diego Sanchez, Hathaway may have more potential than Baczynski, but both fighters are currently at approximately the same level on the welterweight ladder.

Eddie Wineland vs. Ivan Menjivar-Mike Easton Winner

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Eddie Wineland looked very much like a title contender in his recent win over Scott Jorgensen. However, with a recent loss against Urijah Faber, Wineland is still probably a few wins away from earning a title shot, so he'll likely be used as a test for another rising contender in his next bout.

Ivan Menjivar and Mike Easton are currently riding tons of momentum, so the winner of their bout at UFC 148 could find themselves one win away from a championship fight. By matching the winner of that bout up against Wineland, the UFC will be able to determine whether or not they are ready for a title fight.

Scott Jorgensen vs. Miguel Torres

Following his loss to Eddie Wineland at UFC on FX 3, Scott Jorgensen has now lost two straight fights and is in danger of falling completely out of the title hunt in the bantamweight division.

Given their name value, a bout between Jorgensen and Miguel Torres, who was knocked out by Michael McDonald in his last fight, would give the winner a chance to rebound and return to relevancy in the 135-pound title picture. At the same time, the loser would move one step closer toward being released from the organization, so this fight would bring the best out of both competitors.

Josh Neer vs. Brian Ebersole-T.J. Waldburger Loser

Josh Neer provided entertainment as always at UFC on FX 3, but a right hand late in the first round sent him face first into the canvas, resulting in a knockout loss to Mike Pyle.

Whether he is matched with a grappler or striker, Neer is going to give fans something to watch, but let's match him up against another well-rounded fighter in the loser of an upcoming bout between Brian Ebersole and T.J. Waldburger.

Mike Pyle vs. Mike Pierce

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Though they aren't often recognized as elite welterweights, Mike Pierce and Mike Pyle have only lost to the best of the best in the 170-pound division as of late and are two of the most well-rounded grapplers in the division.

Since they both only recently lost their respective fights against Rory MacDonald and Josh Koscheck, Pyle and Pierce probably aren't ready for a top contender, but with a win over the other, one of these fighters could be a couple wins away from an unpredictable title shot.

Charlie Brenneman vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha

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After his loss to Erick Silva, it's clear that Charlie Brenneman has major problems facing skilled strikers with solid takedown defense. To give "The Spaniard" a chance to get back on track, let's match him up with an opponent who will be more than willing to go to the ground with him.

Despite going to the ground with Mike Pierce, Carlos Eduardo Rocha also suffered a loss at UFC on FX 3. Still, the Brazilian's greatest strength is his jiu-jtisu, which he will look to use if he is matched up against the wrestler in Brenneman.

Erick Silva vs. Dong Hyun Kim-Demian Maia Winner

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After his impressive win over Charlie Brenneman, Erick Silva would appear to be a perfect opponent for a fellow rising welterweight contender in Rory MacDonald. However, it appears MacDonald will be facing off against a returning B.J. Penn.

With Johny Hendricks and Martin Kampmann probably too far up the division's ladder for Silva to fight right now, a bout against the winner of a fight between Dong Hyun Kim and Demian Maia would appear to make some sense.

If Maia wins decisively against Kim, the UFC will want to push the converted middleweight up the 170-pound ranks quickly. At the same time, a bout with Maia would give Silva the chance to pick up his first win over a former title contender.

Ian McCall vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani

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Prior to the UFC's adoption of the flyweight division, former Tachi Palace Fights champion Ian McCall and former Shooto champion Yasuhiro Urushitani were considered two of the best 125-pound fighters in the world.

After losing in the semifinals of the UFC's flyweight tournament, McCall and Urushitani now seem to make perfect sense as opponents for their next appearance inside the Octagon.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez

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With his win over Ian McCall at UFC on FX 3, Demetrious Johnson earned a fight with a fellow former top bantamweight contender in Joseph Benavidez. However, this bout will take place in the newly minted flyweight division.

The winner of the fight, which should take place in the coming months, will be named the UFC's inaugural 125-pound titleholder.